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Russia 2018 – Deaf and blind fan experiences joy of FIFA World Cup

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup match between Columbia and Poland, nearly all eyes are fixed on the TV screen to watch the match.

Jose Richard Gallego is a Columbian who grew up watching the beautiful game before losing his eyesight and hearing at the age of 9.

This has not stopped Jose from being able to enjoy the game he loves thanks to his good friend Cesar. He has learned sign language and developed a unique set of hand gestures to describe the play as it happens.

By using a special scaled down board to represent the pitch, Cesar guides Jose’s hands around the pitch to simulate every movement. There are special movements to indicate foul play, referee decisions and match incidents.